T Dave Silva

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CreditsWriting: T Dave SilvaEditing: Carol DarnellIllustration: Jake PerezLayout: Jacob Wood

Copyright © 2018 T Dave Silva and House Dok Stock Productions. All Rights Reserved.

Visit us online at www.housedok.com

Special ThanksWe would like to thank each of our Kickstarter backers for making Metahumans Rising possible. Your trust and support has been vital to mak-ing this project a reality and a success, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

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It was a Monday like any other. I was at the office when the message came in. It had been a few months since we had talked, but Julian had been a friend and one of the early playtesters for Metahumans Rising. We had never met in person, he lived in New York, and I was in Atlanta, then later Las Vegas. Like so many people today though, we shared a com-munal space on the internet talking through chat, or video calls. A mutual friend, Archie, had introduced us. Julian always seemed to have a different per-spective on things, he was open and talked about a range of topics, when he was in the mood to talk. An aspiring writer himself, I had hoped to see his works published someday. At the game table, he helped us to remember that we were here for a story, not just to roll dice, and like him, the people and places he envisioned shared different perspectives on the world around them. We’re going to have Archie say a few words as well, then induct one of his favor-ite characters into the Hall of Legends as a way of sharing his look on life and the world with everyone who joins us. Thank You, T Dave Silva

I’ve been asked to say a few words about my dear departed friend, St. Julian Perkins, Jr. We met by chance at the Compleat Strategist in Manhattan near the Hero System racks. We spoke about our shared interest in roleplaying games and that chance meeting laid the foun-dation to a relationship that lasted over twenty years.Through interactions with him and his friends, he opened my mind to new ideas. He helped me move beyond what I had become comfortable with and expand my horizons, both in roleplay-ing and in real life. I can only hope what awaits him in the Great Beyond can compete with the fantastic imagination he shared with me.Take care,Archie

Memorial St. Julian Perkins, Jr.i

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In an attempt to trace the inception of Metahumans Rising I find it increasingly difficult to pinpoint the origin. Is it sometime in mid-2014 when I started really looking at ways things could have been done differently with Fractured Kingdom? A better date might be sometime in January of 2008, when we kicked off our first play by post game, of the same name, on the now defunct Hero Central. That’s probably a better starting place, fumbling through and carving off hunks of stone as we slowly began the process of creating the world of Metahumans Rising.

Still, that’s not the real source. To get to the real point of inception it would probably be some time in 1988 when I stumbled onto a copy of What If? Vol 1 Issue 23: What If the Hulk had become a barbarian, my introduction to the What If series, in the long boxes of a comic shop I had only wandered into because it was on the second floor of a residential building, below a psychic on the third and surrounded by apartments. Originally released years prior I was just discovering the joys of Marvel’s what if series. Their ill-fated New Universe and DP7 had already begun kindling the idea of parallel worlds where events simply progressed differently from our own. Now, here was Mar-vel giving us new worlds where one change spawns entire new worlds. When I look at how characters are created and the advice given in the GM chapter of this book, I can still see those ideas sparked by a comic book thirty years ago.

What if seems to be the kind of question that grows more popular with age. What if I didn’t move to Atlanta shortly after turning twenty one? What if I stayed in sales instead of changing career paths? What if I hadn’t picked up a col-lection of weirdly shaped dice when the kid that lived next to my grandmother said he bought this new kind of game in a red box.

What if I had said no instead of yes? Some of these things are easier to imagine than others, but it’s the choices we’ve made that have lead us down this path and to the game before you.

In the time between first beginning work on Metahumans Rising in 2014 and today we lost and gained so much, I spent nearly a year and a half floating between the homes of friends and family before finding a home. At the same time, I found a partner who cares for me in the way I care for her, and was willing to take this journey with me, put-ting up with road trips across the country and cramming what little we could keep into one room.

Bill Clinton said: If you live long enough, you’ll make mis-takes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.

This may be the story of Metahumans Rising. It is a game forged from a maelstrom of ideas, tempered with set-backs and obstacles, and in the end we have persevered. At its core, Metahumans Rising is about choosing the path less traveled, facing adversity, accepting, even choosing failure only to emerge triumphant. Thank you for taking this journey with me, may it be fraught with danger, ad-versity, and friends around the game table.

T Dave Silva, Author Metahumans Rising.

Our Journeyii

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Adam BrownAdam RiceAidan HurstAlan the AlpalAndrew BennettArcangel Ortiz, Jr.B MorrisBeachfoxBenjamin DavisBigbywolfeBill GarrettBilly Dee SorrellsBob RichterBrad LudwigBrandon TerryBrian GoubeauxBruce CurdBryan BaileyCarlos RestrepoCarol DarnellCase PendletonCharles Wrightchris mobberleyClifton GordonClint WilliamsDarren RichleyDavid DaltonDavid JohnstonDeadlyReedDevon ParsonsDivNull ProductionsDonnie HanbyDwarf FighterEarl Scott NicholsonEloy LasantaErnesto LopezFilippo FrancoFred FillerG JacobsGage PattersonGame DaveGeekGamerGene KenneyGuest 1003512373

Guest 1451795548Guest 1911095071Guest 2128271601Guest 345170002Gustavo La FontaineHeath DobsonHeather RasmussenI of RaIsaac ‘Will It Work’ DansickerJack GulickJacob WoodJamesJames Alexander WilliamsJames LucasJames StonerJason CorleyJason LeisemannJason LightJesse RobergeJohn DesmaraisJohn HunterJohn M. PortleyJon LeitheusserJonathan James DaileyJonathan Ly DavisJosh MedinJosh TansleyKarfunkelKate NicolsonKatieKevin DixonKevin FussKristopher VolterKrzyckiLance GraceLemuel PewLiam MurrayLiza KesslerLlasnadmadkidsMageAkylaMathieu BaussartMatthew McFarlandMichael Beck

Michael PinedaMike BrowneMorgan WeeksNathan ClampittNeal TannerNessalanthaNestor RodriguezNickNick FarrancenovakowskiOliver PeltierOrkoParis ContePatrice MermoudPeterPhilippe GamacheRDPrecrispiRoger Orthron beckRon SmayRyan EmnettSamjoko PublishingSeth HartleyshaiSt Julian Perkins JrSteve DodgeSteve PerrinSteven HendersonSteven WarbleThe Rangdo of ArgTheLetterBTheodore MillerThomas SheyThozmp CorrisTim CastilloTim KryselmireTim WatkinsTrip Space-ParasiteTyler BrunetteWade GeerXander CroweYves BoudartZeb Berryman

Kickstarter Backersiii

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Ch. 1: Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Part 0: Campaign Scope & World Building . . .8 Campaign Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8World Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Steel Aces Part 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Part 1: Character Background: Origin, Catalyst, Drive, and Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Public Persona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Catalyst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Steel Aces Part 1 Character Backgrounds . . .15

Part 2: Power Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Power Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Assigning Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Steel Aces Part 2 Power Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Part 3: Selecting Arrays and Advancement Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Characteristic Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Choosing Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Equipment: Tools and Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Steel Aces Part 3: Nox and Guardian . . . . . . .23Raw Builds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Part 4: Drawbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Part 5: Scope Revisited—Issue 0 and Team Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Issue 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Team Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Steel Aces Part 5: Team Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Part 6: Life Pools & Filling In The Blanks . . . .33Steel Aces Part 6: Life Pools & Filling In The Blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Ch.2: Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Talents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Boons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Fighting Styles and Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Building Powers, Fighting Styles, and Gear .51Defensive Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Power Creation Example: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Building a Fighting Style: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Building Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Power Boons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57Universal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Offensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Power Drawbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Power and Gear Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Summary of Attributes, Talents, Boons, Powers, and Drawbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Talents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Boons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Power Boons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Drawbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Ch. 3: Rules, Roles, Mechanics & Conflicts . . . 84Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84List of Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Rolling Dice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84When To Make A Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 What Kind of Rolls Are There? . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Making Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Basic Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Difficulties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Contested Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Competitive Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Disasters, Powers & Saving The Day . . . . . . . . .91Creating A Disaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91Mitigating Disasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Narrating the Disaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Time Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96Player’s Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Willpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Gaining Willpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Complications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Calamities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99Spending Willpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99Cinematic Additions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101Splash Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

Ch. 4: Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Simple Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Rolling Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Attacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Ranged Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Damage & Stamina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Damage Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Injuries, Unconsciousness, and Death . . . . . .106Injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Knocked Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

Conflict Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109Maneuvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109Improvised Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110Quick Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

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Combat Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112Lighting and Blindness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113Prone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Cinematic Knock Out or Capturing Heroes . . . . 114

Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114End of Combat Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114Natural Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114Long Term Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Additional Dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Ch. 5: GM’s Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116Character Advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116Building a World of Supers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117Making Heroes Super . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117Comic Book Iconography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117Superteams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

Story Crafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118Organic Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118Make It Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118Be Prepared For Curveballs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119Don’t Forget Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Scene Crafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119The Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119Involving the Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119Bystanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Collective Storytelling Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . .119It’s A Comic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Game Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120Story Crafting Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Making Villains Super . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125Secret Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125The Villainous Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

Background Characters: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126Mob Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128

The World of Metahumans Rising . . . . . . . . . .131Inside The United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

Rogues Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137Street Gangs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137Organized Crime Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138Guns for Hire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138The Brood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

Meeting with Equal Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147Power Level and Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147Steel Aces (Example Characters) . . . . . . . . . . .147

Ch. 6: Burning the Midnight Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166Foreshadowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166Staging Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167What’s Really Going On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167The Fitness Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167The Word On The Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167Fried Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167School Haze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167Medical Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168Interviewing Myers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168Big Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169Testing A Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169Friends on the Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Building Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170Bad Deals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170Scoring Some Hooch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170The Next Big Thing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171Storm Trooping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172Dwindling Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172Introducing the Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

Climax - One Last Dose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172Introducing the Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Aftermath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Ch. 7: Hall of Legends (Backer Characters) . . . 175

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Part 0: Campaign Scope & World BuildingThe Superhero Genre is a diverse landscape ranging from silly to serious, based from the real world to the surreal and existential. For this reason, it is important to establish a common framework for the players and GM.

The goal of this section is to provide everyone an under-standing of the world the characters will be a part of and their place within that world. The group should begin by discussing the scope of the game, including the tone and feel of the characters and campaign.

Everyone should discuss what they would like, or what they do not want to see in the campaign. The GM fills out the Campaign Overview based on the shared world. There are a number of basic dials the GM can set as references throughout the game.

Campaign Scope Concepts & Story Elements Before making any definitive statements about the cam-paign, players and GMs should suggest concepts or story elements they would like to see in the world and their games. While Campaign Scoping, GMs should try not to rule anything out right away, instead, look to build con-sensus, incorporating various elements whenever possi-ble.

In a campaign where the heroes simply do not kill except for in extreme circumstances, there can be room for a character who stands out as more violent than the rest. Handled correctly, this is a story element not just for the player but the entire group.

The GM should write down a list of 5 - 10 themes and ele-ments on the Campaign Overview.

AgeIn comic books, age represents a period of time separated by defining events, either in the real world or in a particular comic book. Metahumans Rising uses Age to express how the Tone of the Campaign is explored.

� Pulp Era: While not technically part of comic books, the era of pulp magazines and books introduced the idea of mystery men, and masked crime fighters. The works were an expression of their times with a very different set of morals. Typically, the characters possessed a single unique quality that set them apart but was not truly superhuman. Stories often swung between high adventure and brooding, introspective works.

� Golden Age: The dawn of modern superheroes; the Golden Age was a time where writers were free to explore any topic, so long as it sold. Popular heroes were commonly cloned by other publishers. The Golden Age explored multiple genres from tights and fights to gritty war stories. This was a time of explor-ing the possibilities of actions.

� Silver Age: Ushered in by the Comics Code Authority, comic books took a major shift. Morality is black and white, and villains never prospered. Stories typically range from high adventure to lighthearted or silly. There is still room for introspective or philosophical games but any real-world issues should probably be occluded in high fantasy or science fiction trappings, and don’t be afraid to throw in the occasional gorilla.

� Bronze Age: Marked by a loosening of the Comics Code, the Bronze Age allowed writers to discuss mature material openly, reintroducing politics and religion. This Age saw a resurgence of Pulp Era anti-heroes along with more occult and mystic-styled characters. The Bronze Age allows for a host of different stories, but generally avoid the truly macabre or extreme acts of violence. Villains may do terrible things but more often these acts are off-camera or implied.

� Dark Age: This era is characterized by a deconstruc-tion of the genre as a whole. The best stories of the Age focus on personal motivations, the effects of trauma, and consequences of actions. Nuance is im-portant for good Dark Age stories, with little happen-ing in a vacuum and very little humor injected.

� Extreme Age: Emerging from the Dark Age, the Ex-treme era was driven by action and intense visuals. Plot, and character development often served more as a vehicle to move characters to their next set piece. Much of the Comics Code no longer applies and extreme violence and sexuality are commonplace. Extreme Age games should heavily consider Lines and Veils as these are likely the only hard limits for the direction stories can take.

� Cinematic Age: When comic books and movies final-ly came together in a successful pairing, it triggered a realignment of many comic titles. The Cinematic Age might also be considered a kind of Retro-Bronze Age, taking elements of the Dark and Golden Ages of comics. Stories address a wide range of topics with a critical eye and focus on character impact. As in an Extreme Age game, it’s important to consider Lines and Veils.

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ToneConsider the tone of play the players and GMs may like to see. On the Campaign Overview, the GM should write down one or two descriptive words to help remind them of the Campaign’s general Tone. Examples of possible Tone:

� Action/Adventure: Stories draw characters into dan-gerous situations and places.

� Comic: Lighthearted, everyone should expect humor, from pun-inspired names to silly story arcs.

� Explorative: There isn’t a central location, any kind of homebase, or their headquarters is mobile. The Cam-paign focuses new places and new people. Explor-ative games can capture the feel of some pulp age stories or serial TV shows.

� Gonzo: Off the wall stories, almost anything can hap-pen in a gonzo game.

� High-Octane: Action-driven stories, plots tend to be vehicles to push the heroes to the next adventure.

� Inspirational: Stories bring people hope, and new possibilities. Each story may have an associated lesson or moral.

� Introspective: Turning the story inward, plotlines often challenge characters’ notions of the world.

� Macabre: Stories center on the dark, or taboo sub-jects. Death, suffering, and loss are common themes.

� Philosophical: Specific plots, or the campaign as a whole, focus on exploring a philosophical concept, such as faith, utilitarianism, or humanism.

Lines and VeilsPlayers should express any hard or soft limits for the Campaign.

Lines: These are hard limits, things that do not happen, and can cause an all-stop to game play. GMs should make a note to avoid these topics completely.

Veils: These are topics that may come up but are not shown “on camera.” Stories might reference a veiled topic but should not show this or explore it in any detail.

Tips One method of determining the scope is to go around the game table eliciting ideas from each player in turn. Once each person has contributed an idea, try to put them together and see how each part fits. This may take several rounds of ideas before the scope comes into focus.

Players and GMs may have a hard time describing the spe-cific elements they wish to see in the Campaign. Don’t be afraid to describe things using movies, books, and especial-ly comics as points of reference.

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World Building Once everyone understands the general Scope of the Campaign, it is time to look at crafting the world the char-acters will inhabit. With the Scope providing some general guidelines, everyone should consider how those ideas might manifest in the world.

During this step, consider locations, people, and events that may be important to the Campaign. There is no need to set everything in stone. This could be as general as what a campaign city might look like, without specifics, or groups players know they want to see in the course of the Campaign.

Central LocationsThe group should establish any key, or central locations. Do the heroes have a base of operations? Is the campaign focused on one city or globetrotting? Everyone should consider how these things impact the characters.

A globetrotting game means the team will need some means to travel. This transportation method can easily become a key location for the characters.

In a centralized campaign, each player may want to describe a place that is potentially important. Locations may be important to the characters for personal reasons, potential sources of new plots, or just great set pieces that shouldn’t be missed.

Important Events What, if any, are the key events that define the world the heroes inhabit? Consider a round robin with each person suggesting a pivotal or important event. These events may play directly into a campaign or simply be part of the tapestry that makes up the world everyone inhabits.

Key Figures Are there any important or recurring people that will be interacting with the heroes? There is no need to flesh these characters out completely. Some may have a name, or just a role.

Note: GMs should pay attention to those who are and are not contributing to the game’s scope. Try to make sure ev-eryone has an opportunity to contribute and avoid letting more dominant personalities take over during this step.

Steel Aces Part 0At the start of a new campaign, Dave, Mike, Nancy, Olivia, and Paul begin by discussing what type of game they wish to play. The GM, Dave opens the discussion by asking what kind of things everyone wants to see in the game.

Nancy jumps in right away. “Corruption, not like spies, but corruption should trigger important events.”

“This is good.” Olivia agrees.

“Are we talking about corrupt cops, politicians, cor-porations? How high up the ladder does it go?” Dave follows up.

“Yes!” is Paul’s response.

“Corrupt cops are cool, but I want to do some world hopping.” Mike adds.

“So larger groups, something that will force the team to go to different places?” Dave asks.

Thinking about it, Mike holds up his hand. “Well, I want to be able to deal with corruption on all levels. Like I don’t want dirty cops to be overshadowed by Evil Co., both should be meaningful.”

“Do we want to focus on shades of grey and go darker?” Dave asks.

“No,” Mike added quickly. “I like my heroes to be heroes not a collection of angst and pockets.” Nancy and Olivia both agree.

“The more we learn, the deeper things go,” Olivia adds. “An investigation might take us anywhere, but heroes are heroes and villains are villains.”

“What about something more political, like some of the late seventies comics? They explored a lot of topics like race and corruption. We could have a Bureau of Metahuman Affairs, as a questionable government agency,” Paul adds.

“Do we want to set the game in the ‘70s, or just try to capture the feel of the more political comics of that age?” Asks Dave.

“I want to be able to use modern technology. I’d prefer a modern setting.” Nancy says. With no one disagreeing, Dave updates his Campaign notes. After a bit more discussion Dave’s Campaign Scope notes look as follows:

Concepts

Corruption! Conspiracies, mysteries, the whole schmear. Bureau of Metahuman Affairs (BMA)

Shades of grey Some shades of grey

Heroes are heroes

Bronze Age, late, retro

High technology, aliens?

Politics

Weirdness, magic, other dimensions (Add for flavor unless there is a character focused on this.)

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Scope

Local -> National -> How far down does the rabbit hole go?

Investigation and action, characters will determine focus.

Campaign city, staging ground? (Team will need a means to travel, city should serve as both place for intrigue and staging grounds for larger events. Arlington maybe?)

Campaign Scope Example: Metahumans Rising Metahumans Rising includes a ready-made setting inspired by the Bronze and Cinematic Ages, but can be adapted for virtually any comic age.

Concepts � Heroes are heroes (They are larger than life and get

away with wearing costumes)

� Growing tension

� Most people accept people with powers but there is an underlying tension and fear.

� Some Metahumans live extraordinarily long lives.

� Multiple sources of Superpowers, Aliens, Advanced Science, mutants, and Magic all exist.

� Superhumans first emerged in World War I after a gas, Kaiser Box, was released.

� Hints of Corruption: The world is not black and white, there is corruption, but generally good and bad is clear.

� Death is meaningful, and heroes are rarely, if ever, killers.

� Age: Cinematic/Bronze

� Tone: Introspective Action-Adventure

Central Locations: � Cities: Washington D.C., Arlington, VA. Baltimore, MD

� Places: Team Base

Important Events � WWI: Metahumans first appear

� WWII: Both Axis and Allies have super powered forc-es.

� 1950s: Government begins trying to regulate Meta-humans

� 1960s: The first Metahuman prison is built

� 1970s: Chimera first appears

� 1980s: Corruption exposed in Metahuman detention centers

� 1999: Lensing Conflict - First alien invasion

� 2010: Terraforming Event - Second alien invasion

� 2011: First Mars Colony established

Key Figures � US 7: The first American super team, comprised of

seven members:

� American Steel, a black child raised in Harlem, New York after his father’s death, his body now more durable than even the Russian Super Tanks.

� Eagle, a Kentucky sniper with increased sensory powers and the ability to generate beams of con-centrated light with his eyes.

� Patriot, a Boston battery sergeant from the Strasburg Event with the ability to communicate telepathically.

� Gunner, an Indiana infantryman with telekinetic powers.

� Armor,` physically superior to any enlisted soldier outside the Seven.

� Ace, an Ohio pilot with the gift of flight.

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